<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Umbra advises on gardens and kids]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by PermieWriter http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-15-umbra-advises-gardens-kids/ Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:03:08 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-15-umbra-advises-gardens-kids/1 Yeah school gardens! Getting kids to grow food is one of the very best things you can do to make their education come together for them. I've seen fourth-grade boys eating kale leaves straight off the plant. And gardening can be endlessly tied into their curriculae.

It's nice to hear that the plastic lumber isn't going to leach nastiness into the carrots. Picking the right materials is probably going to be mostly about budget and pleasing any fussbudget parents. Tricky, depending on the budget (and parents). I'm guessing you'd want to go for large pieces of urbanite (too big for any of the kids to pick up, even together) to avoid braining concerns.

]]> Yeah school gardens! Getting kids to grow food is one of the very best things you can do to make their education come together for them. I've seen fourth-grade boys eating kale leaves straight off the plant. And gardening can be endlessly tied into their curriculae.

It's nice to hear that the plastic lumber isn't going to leach nastiness into the carrots. Picking the right materials is probably going to be mostly about budget and pleasing any fussbudget parents. Tricky, depending on the budget (and parents). I'm guessing you'd want to go for large pieces of urbanite (too big for any of the kids to pick up, even together) to avoid braining concerns.

]]> Comment #2 by Mad Chemist http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-15-umbra-advises-gardens-kids/ Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:06:26 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-15-umbra-advises-gardens-kids/2 Plastic wood is not as aesthetically pleasing as real wood, but then it is made with recycled milk jugs, detergent bottles and the like.  Since we all think recycling is a good idea and dutifully separate our recycleables we should support those who are in the recycling business and buy platic lumber. 

Real wood requires cutting down forests and will rot away in a few years.  Plastic lumber will last for years.

As for leaching toxic substances; plastic lumber is made out of the same  material that you poured your milk out of.  There are no phthalates or BPA to leach.

 

]]> Plastic wood is not as aesthetically pleasing as real wood, but then it is made with recycled milk jugs, detergent bottles and the like.  Since we all think recycling is a good idea and dutifully separate our recycleables we should support those who are in the recycling business and buy platic lumber. 

Real wood requires cutting down forests and will rot away in a few years.  Plastic lumber will last for years.

As for leaching toxic substances; plastic lumber is made out of the same  material that you poured your milk out of.  There are no phthalates or BPA to leach.

 

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